Ontario police sound alarm over perceived lack of funds for pot legalization

By The Canadian Press

Ontario’s chiefs of police are again sounding alarm bells about the impending legalization of recreational cannabis, saying federal funding for police operations may not go far enough to cover increased costs.

At a press conference in Toronto on Tuesday, Ontario Provincial Police Chief Supt. Chuck Cox says it’s not yet clear how legalization will affect day-to-day operations for police services.

But he says based on other jurisdictions’ experiences, it’s fair to assume that drug-impaired driving will go up and police will need to train more officers to detect drug impairment, which can be costly.

Police have been one of the key holdups in legalizing recreational cannabis.

The Liberals initially promised to legalize it by July, but now say the deadline will be pushed back by several weeks, in part to give police authorities time to prepare for the new law.

Cox says police are already working to “make training more readily available and reduce costs.”


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